The Majapahit Empire: Map & History
The greatest maritime thalassocracy of the Indonesian archipelago, uniting over 98 tributary states across Nusantara through Prime Minister Gajah Mada’s Palapa Oath.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The greatest maritime thalassocracy of the Indonesian archipelago, uniting over 98 tributary states across Nusantara through Prime Minister Gajah Mada’s Palapa Oath.
Modern Countries Once Part of The Majapahit Empire
At its mapped extent, The Majapahit Empire covered territory in 4 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Timor-Leste1363–1474 CE · nearly all
- Indonesia1294–1518 CE · a large part
- Malaysia1352–1474 CE · a large part
- Thailand1352–1474 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside The Majapahit Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
The Majapahit Empire: Key Facts
| Religion | Catholic Church |
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Facts from Wikidata Q49344 (CC0).
Imperial History & Territorial Expansion
Founded in 1293 by Raden Wijaya after cleverly outmaneuvering and expelling the invading Mongol naval armada sent by Kublai Khan, the Majapahit Empire became the greatest empire in the history of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Under its legendary Prime Minister (Mahapatih) Gajah Mada, who took the sacred Sumpah Palapa oath refusing spices until the archipelago was united, and King Hayam Wuruk, Majapahit commanded a vast thalassocracy extending across Java, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sulawesi, and Maluku.
Majapahit Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Raden Wijaya expels the Mongol armada and founds Majapahit with capital at Trowulan.
Prime Minister takes the solemn oath to unite Nusantara under Majapahit banner.
Golden age of imperial literature, commerce, and architectural construction.
Empire encompasses over 2.7 million square kilometers across the Indonesian archipelago.
Key Monarchs, Architects & Strategists
Enduring Planetary Legacy
- ✓The Sumpah Palapa (Palapa Oath) of Gajah Mada, foundational to modern Indonesian national unity (Bhinneka Tunggal Ika)
- ✓The Nagarakretagama epic poem (1365 CE) documenting the geography and governance of medieval Nusantara
- ✓Masterpieces of terracotta art and red-brick split gates (Candi Bentar) at Trowulan
- ✓The Maritime Code (Undang-Undang Laut) governing inter-island spice trade across the Moluccas
Majapahit Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Majapahit Empire exist?
The Majapahit Empire is dated to 1293 CE – 1527 CE (Peak: 1389 CE), in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Majapahit Empire?
The capital of the Majapahit Empire was Trowulan (East Java, Indonesia).
How large was the Majapahit Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 1389 AD the Majapahit Empire covered about 2,700,000 km².
Geographic Lifelines
Other Sovereign Realms
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Avarga
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi